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Published : 18 Feb 2019, 12:27 PM
Though law enforcers found evidence of twelve perpetrators being involved in the 2015 murder that shook Bangladesh, only six suspects are to be charged. Law enforcers failed to find the names and addresses of five suspects, while another has died.
Among the six accused in the murder are alleged Ansarullah Bangla Team leader and sacked military officer Major Syed Ziaul Haq and ‘militant blogger’ Safiur Rahman Farabi.
Police CTC chief Monirul Islam said at a press conference on Monday that the charge sheet has to be approved by the Ministry of Home Affairs before it is sent to the court.
“The investigating officer in the case has requested the approval of the home secretary for the charge sheet. Once we receive the notice from them, the case docket will be sent to the court.”
Avijit Roy was attacked in front of the Dhaka University TSC intersection on Feb 26, 2015 as he was returning from the Ekushey Book Fair with his wife Rafida Ahmed Bonya.
The son of noted physicist Ajay Roy, Avijit lived in the US. In addition to writing on various scientific issues, he was the founder of the popular blog ‘Muktomona’.
He had come to Bangladesh to take part in the book fair despite threats from militants.
Prof Ajay Roy filed a case over his son’s murder at Shahbagh Police Station soon after the incident. He has expressed his disappointment about the slow progress of the investigation.
THE ACCUSED
The six named in the charge sheet are:
1. Syed Ziaul Haq, who is known as a sacked military major. His name in the organisation was Sagor aka Ishtiaque aka Boro Bhai
2. Md Mozzammel Hossain aka Simon aka Shahriar
3. Md Abu Siddiq Sohel aka Sakib aka Sajid aka Shahab
4. Md Arafat Rahman aka Siam aka Sajjad aka Shams
5. Akram Hossain aka Abir aka Adnan aka Hasibul aka Abdullah
6. Safiur Rahman Farabi
Of the accused, Ziaul Haq and Akram Hossain aka Abir are absconding. The remaining four are currently in prison.
Investigators say all of the suspects, aside from Farabi, were members of the Ansarullah Bangla Team.
“Through testimony, analysis of information and evidence collected by our detectives, we have come to the conclusion that the mastermind of the attack was sacked military official and fugitive Major Zia,” police CTC chief Monirul said.
The counter-terror unit’s investigation found that 11 people were connected to the incident. RAB also arrested Safiur Rahman Farabi in connection with the case.
“Farabi had instigated Avijit Roy’s murder through a Facebook post. He was added to the case as an instigator.”
Detainees Md Mozzammel Hossain aka Simon, Md Arafat Rahman and Md Abu Siddiq Sohel have confessed to the court.
“They confessed to their part in the murder, spoke of the others involved and how the murder was carried out,” Monirul said.
FIVE SUSPECTS STILL UNIDENTIFIED
Monirul said the police counter terrorism unit had connected 11 people to the murder based on their investigation and video footage from the scene.
The perpetrators of the murder divided themselves into three groups – operation, intelligence and training, he said.
Monirul said the leader of the group that carried out the murder was Mukul Rana aka Shariful, who was killed in an alleged shootout with police in Khilgaon on Jun 19, 2016.
Investigators found the organisational aliases of the ten perpetrators, but have not been able to uncover the names and addresses of five of them. The CTC has thus formed a charge sheet with only the six people who have been identified and are still living.
“If the names and addresses of the others are uncovered in the future, a supplemental charge sheet will be submitted and they will be brought to justice,” Monirul said.
Seven people arrested at various times in connection with the murder have been exempted from the charge sheet as sufficient evidence was not found to charge them.
These seven are – Sadek Ali aka Mithu, Mohammad Touhidur Rahman aka Gama, Aminul Mollik, Md Zafran Hossain, Julhas Biswas, Manna Yahya aka Mannan Rahi and Md Abul Bashar.
